RED BIRDS WIN IN 11 INNINGS OVER LE SUEUR BRAVES - Adrian Turner notches 21 strikeouts in the complete game win. Looked an awful lot like Jack Morris in the 1991 World Series Win for the Twins. In the play-in game of the Section 6 C Playoffs, the Red Birds and Braves squared off in an incredibly exciting Amateur baseball game at Storm Red Bird Stadium in Chanhassen last night. The Red Birds, #4 seed in the RVL Central hosted the #5 seeded Braves with the winner advancing to double-elimination play on Friday night at St. Peter Saints. Adrian Turner, savvy south-paw, got the call with not much warm up, but the Red Bird Lefty was more than up to the task. The top of the first opened with Braves shortstop, Matt McPartland lining a double to left center field. A wild pitch put him at 3rd with nobody out. Turner then began to show his wizardry on the mound, getting the next three batters on Ks to end the inning and snuff the Braves hopes for an early lead. Turner then proceeded through the next 10 innings getting at least one K in each inning. Heres his K Count by inning, starting with the 1st .. 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 -- Total - 21 In the top of the third, Adrian issued his first of just 3 BBs to Brent OConnell, and promptly picked him off with his deadly move to first. To open the 4th inning, Ryan Moriarity shot a come-backer to Adrian that ricocheted off Turners right chin toward the 1st base line. A hush fell over the crowd as Turner walked off the pain. After a couple of confirming tosses Turner then mowed down the heart of the Braves order, McPartland, Haller and May with three Ks to prove his leg didnt affect his throwing motion at all. In the 5th inning, with Brandon Culbert on first, Mark Roby laced a two out line to right field. Culbert, tried to advance to 3rd on the play, but a brilliant throw and relay from Kemble to Gulden to Penovich nailed Brandon for the rally snuffing 3rd out. Adrian continued his showcase pitching with fast balls, curves and the Out PitchChange up, through the next 5 innings retiring 15 of the 16 batters he faced in the 6th - 10th innings. In the top of the 11th OConnell started with a single to right. On the first pitch to Roby, the ball bounced off Zach Swensons glove toward the Red Bird Dugout and Oconnell looked like a sure RISP, but Zach reached the ball quickly, turned and threw what looked like a missile to Gulden at 2nd base and erased OConnell by two steps. Adrian returned his attention to roby and struck him out with a wicked change-up for his 21st K of the game. A walk to Matt McPartland and single by Moriarity put men on 1st and 2nd with two outs and put Ryan McPartland in the batters box. Adrian got Ryan on a soft grounder to Swenson at Short and a flip to Gulden closed out the hopes for the Braves. The Red Birds seemed to be snake-bit for much of the game. In each of the first three innings, the Red Birds got hits off Braves SP Ryan Wolf, but couldnt get the next hit to drive in a run. In the 4th inning, Adrian bellted one to deep right-center field and looked like he was ehaded to 3rd with a triple, but slowed after rounding 2nd and was clearly standing on the bag when the umpire called him out on the tag. Wolf then got matty Olson for his 5th K and Zach Swenson lined a single to left center that likely would have scored Turner from 2nd. Swenson then got picked off 1st just as the pitcher put his toe on the pitching rubber. Two hits, three outs, nobody left on base. In the 7th inning, Swenson hit a one out liner to right. wolfs pickoff move to 1st got past McPartland and Swenson advanced to 2nd. Penovich followed with a single to left that put Swenson just 90 feet away with one out. Soft liners to first by Kemble and Bergner ended the threat for an initial score. In the bottom of the 8th, T.j. Gulden laced a 1 out single to left field. Hopes began to rise for the Red Bird fans as Wolfs pick off move got past Mcpartland and Gulden advanced all the way to 3rd. Riesdgraf then bounced one back to the pitcher that kept Gulden on 3rd. With two outs, Turner drew an intentional pass, and the Braves starter got matty Olson on a swinging 3rd strike to end the opportunity for the Red Birds. With the announcers scorebook running out of space in the bottom of the 11th inning, Adrian opened with a walk for the Red Birds, Matty Olson then dropped a PERFECT sacrifice bunt that put Turner on 2nd with one out. Zach Swenson stepped to the plate with the Red Bird hopeful cautiously waiting for something good to finally happen. Swenson delivered a single to left field that charged the crowd to a standing cheer as Adrian rounded third on Pavlovichs signal to score and turner trotted across home plate for the game winning run. Fans cheered; some players danced, others hung their heads, and the Sports Editor could finally put a wrap on the game that had a combined 32 strikeouts from both starters, and finishing pitchers. Next game for the Red Birds is at the St. Peter Saints on Friday night, August 1st, for a 7:30 start. Great win for the Red Birds, and an Amateur Baseball Classic that will be long remembered by the 200 plus fans that saw the game. Dont be surprised if the attendance at least those that claimed to see the game grows to the thousands over the next several years. Heres the Announcers Score Book page for Turners Classic Masterpiece
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:46:48 +0000
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